Global Scans · Design · Weekly Summary

WHAT'S NEXT?: Design thinking will increasingly play a key role in improving systems and customer experiences. Companies will re-learn their approach to innovation and embrace human-centred design principles. Designers will begin to apply knowledge of human interaction, specifically in the area of how we earn trust and respect, to AI systems.

• [New] The move to long-term design partnerships is expected to enable faster decision-making, stronger integration across disciplines and a more consistent approach across Sydney Airport's infrastructure portfolio. Future Travel Experience
• [New] For insurers, reinsurers, and intermediaries across Asia, the combination of declining or stable commercial pricing, evolving specialty demand, and a changing risk environment is expected to influence renewal strategies, capital deployment, and product design throughout 2026. Insurance Business
• [New] AI is driving significant energy savings in industrial applications, transportation, and buildings, with potential energy savings of 8% by 2035 across sectors like light industry and transport. GlobeNewswire
• [New] Cabinet PDU & Busway will expand as overhead busway systems become the default architecture for slab-based AI factories; emerging DC power distribution architectures are expected to influence deployment choices toward the end of the decade. Yahoo Finance
• [New] The AI Cockpit's reliance on software-defined architecture creates cyber vulnerabilities exploitable through supply chain compromise or over-the-air update interception. Drone Warfare
• [New] The modular architecture will likely evolve toward AI-enabled targeting and swarm coordination as DoD seeks to maintain technological overmatch against peer adversaries adopting similar platforms. Drone Warfare
• [New] The San architecture will likely evolve to incorporate AI-enabled threat classification and autonomous engagement protocols as drone swarm threats mature, with subsequent upgrades focusing on electronic warfare integration and directed energy weapons by 2028-2029. Drone Warfare
• [New] Through privacy-preserving identity powered by homomorphic tokens at the Edge, it eliminates centralized biometric databases and reduces risk at scale. FinancialContent
• [New] By shifting identity verification to the Edge and combining it with advanced encryption techniques, Private ID removes one of the biggest vulnerabilities in digital identity systems: centralized storage of biometric data. FinancialContent
• [New] Evolving privacy frameworks and cross-border licensure rules will shape how organizations architect virtual care programs in 2026. Talencio
• [New] The use of modular, microservices-based architecture could support the design of flexible, scalable settlement systems, new research from the Bank for International Settlements has found. FinExtra
• [New] Dassault said it supports startups through software access, mentorship, and ecosystem partnerships rather than direct investments, with artificial intelligence expected to further accelerate design innovation. Yourstory
• [New] As concerns over GNSS vulnerability mount, Dutch technology company Syntony is drawing increased attention for its work on terrestrial-based positioning and timing services designed to complement satellite-based navigation, particularly in the maritime domain. Inside GNSS - Global Navigation Satellite Systems Engin
• [New] The fashion industry is heading for a 34% drop in profits by 2030 unless companies move quickly to rein in their climate footprint. The Business of Fashion
• [New] The global fashion industry is facing the risk of a significant profit decline by 2030 if urgent climate action continues to be delayed. Bloomberg
• [New] Climate inaction could reduce fashion industry profits by 34% by 2030. Modaes Global
• [New] Meta's experiments with paid subscriptions could signal a shift in social media, while a significant court case examines the implications of addictive design in social media applications, possibly paving the way for a global redesign. Top Tech Tidbits
• [New] Countries Russia could buy UAVs or UAV parts from, such as China and Turkey, have replicated Iran's cheap, simple Shahed-136 design, too. Defense News
• [New] The Climate Resilient Buildings and Core Public Infrastructure initiative, led by the National Research Council of Canada, has introduced engineering guidance that goes beyond historical weather data by using future climate models that project performance over a 50 to 75-year service life. / Canada On-Site Magazine
• [New] By 2028, new fabs will act as central nodes in regional circular economies, sharing treated wastewater with local agriculture and providing excess heat from cleanrooms to warm local municipal buildings. FinancialContent
• A cornerstone of the Post-COVID-19 Development Strategy 2030, the Aerotropolis - an amalgamation of aero - and metropolis - is designed to transform Sarawak into a high-tech regional aviation and aerospace hub. Borneo Post Online
• Digital Services and the Path to Autonomous Buildings Through live demonstrations and expert discussions, Siemens will show how digitalization, artificial intelligence, and cloud connectivity are transforming building operations. Siemens Digital Industries Software
• ByteDance-backed Pico plans to debut a 2026 headset built on an in-house chip designed for low-latency processing of high-resolution, high-frame-rate video. KrASIA

Last updated: 16 February 2026